Occupational Health in Rare Earth Mining

MinSouth is pleased to announce their first technical event of 2023.  The lecture, on 12 January, will be delivered by Courtney Gendron from Geldon, and will consider 'Occupational health in rare earth mining'

Managing worker exposures associated with rare earth element (REE) mining will require increased attention as the global market expands. Components manufactured from REEs are essential to a variety of electronics and green energy technologies. The growing demand for these products has resulted in an increasing number of production projects outside China, currently the world’s largest producer. It is important to understand the unique occupational health risks of REE mining. These include the REEs themselves, and the naturally-occurring radioactive elements uranium and thorium that often occur in REE deposits. Limited research has been conducted on the toxicity of the 17 elements known collectively as the “rare earth elements”, and subsequently there is a lack of published occupational exposure limits (OELs). A summary of the health effects associated with exposure to REEs will be presented, along with strategies to assess and control exposures. The methods for conducting an initial assessment of radiation exposure resulting from the decay of uranium and thorium will be presented, along with management approaches based on published guidelines. The early assessment of risks and adoption of best practices to limit harmful exposures will help reduce the burden of occupational disease in this rapidly expanding industry.

This event is only available in person and to help with arrangements, registration is essential. Please book your place via the link.